Passenger seats, such as aircraft seats, can be arranged in various configurations. It may be desirable to have tray tables, displays (e.g., in-flight entertainment monitors), and other equipment available to a passenger sitting in a passenger seat. Often, such equipment, including tray tables and displays, may be mounted to the rear of another passenger seat located in front of a first seat.
In some cases, front row seating, bulkhead seating, or other seating without another passenger seat, structure, or monument located immediately in front of the first seat can require tray tables, displays, or other equipment to be mounted to and stowable in relation to the first seat, which can require additional components and features that may increase the weight of the seat. Seats with stowable displays for the use of the passenger in those seats are usually much heavier than standard seats due to the added components and features necessary to store and manipulate the equipment.
Front row seats may include, between laterally adjacent seats, a shrouded module split into two sections, a top section above the spreader containing the tray table and a bottom section below the spreader containing the in-flight entertainment monitor. The bottom section is often referred to as the doghouse. When rotating the in-flight monitor up for use, a passenger must raise the monitor from the doghouse (e.g., at or near the passenger's legs) up to an in-use position. When returning the in-flight monitor to the doghouse, certain designs are unable to mitigate potential mechanical hazards such as pinch points near the passenger's legs or impact dangers associated with accidental dropping of the in-flight monitor mid-travel.